Building Jewish Community, Professor Povitz's Courses

I took Professor Povitz’s History of U.S. Radicalism course in the spring of 2021. It was one of a handful of classes I’d taken at Middlebury that truly changed how I viewed the world. The class was incredibly well organized, each day’s materials building on the last and leading into the next. Professor Povitz’s introduced me to a variety of scholars, writers, and resources that are often left out of typical academics. We discussed radical movements on the far left and on the far right, thinking about which had worked, which had not, and why. Professor Povitz structured the class in a way that pushed me to think deeply about the issues at hand. She expected a lot from each of her students but also understood that we were in the midst of a pandemic that was challenging us all in various ways. Professor Povitz was both rigorous and compassionate. Preferring that students learn and come to class excited than that we get lost in dense readings, she changed up the syllabus at times to ensure that students were able to do the work. She also taught us important skills such as how to skim readings in a productive way that enables learning. Even though I was a senior when I took this class, hers was the first that truly taught me how to ask critical questions that tie together multiple readings and topics. These skills are ones that can be used in graduate school and even in other classes at Middlebury. Additionally, as a young Jewish woman at a college surrounded by mostly Christian peers, having a professor who shared those identities with me is inspiring and incredibly important. I was floored when I heard that Professor Povitz was not being offered tenure. She is an invaluable member of this community who has contributed so much and will continue to do so. If I were administrators at the college, I would offer her tenure in a heartbeat.

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